


Silver dusk

by VNVdarkangel



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alcohol, Angst, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 05:02:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26810050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VNVdarkangel/pseuds/VNVdarkangel
Summary: I'm aware that there is a rivals event in the game... but I haven't played and whatever information I found wasn't really conclusive.Another excursion into bandori territory as I'm gathering energy to finish some of my other storys. A curious 'what-if' scenario.
Relationships: Minato Yukina/Mitake Ran
Kudos: 27





	Silver dusk

**Author's Note:**

> I'm aware that there is a rivals event in the game... but I haven't played and whatever information I found wasn't really conclusive.
> 
> Another excursion into bandori territory as I'm gathering energy to finish some of my other storys. A curious 'what-if' scenario.

#  Prologue

Mitake Ran looked over from her desk, putting down the pen, in the direction of the bed. Her eyes saw an angel with silver hair quietly resting, eyes closed, breathing peacefully.

 _Enemy. Rival. Heartache.  
_ _Lover. Girlfriend. Mine!_

The words floated through her mind as slowly got up and soundlessly walked over to the bed, kneeling next to it. Her eyes caught the glimpse of a silver ring with a blue rose. There it was, securely anchored around the angel’s finger. Ran used her thumb to feel the ring around her finger, a motion that she subconsciously made when her belief, in what her life had become, waned. All this was real.  
She bent forward, gently brushing the silver hair aside, and placed a soft kiss on her angel’s forehead. As she leant back, a pair of golden eyes reflected her dark red hues.

“You know, kissing a maiden when she is asleep might be seen as being too forward, Mitake-san.”

The angel’s free arm placed itself on the back of Ran’s neck and pushed her forward. Playfully, she resisted, not wanting to give in too easily to the temptation of what was to come. As she felt the angel’s breath on her lips, all pretence evaporated and she fell joyfully forward, their lips locking them together.

#  Chapter 1 – Enemy

“Argh, I hate her.” Mitake Ran spat as she and the rest of Afterglow sat on the roof of Haneoka Girls' High School.  
“You probably just caught Minato-senpai on a bad day.” Hazawa Tsugumi said, trying to calm their explosive leader.  
“Every day is bad day for her. She never smiles, she never says hello in the hallway to me. I mean, she greets Moca just fine.”  
“Moca-chan is simply too cute to ignore.” Moca piped in.  
“Muzzle it.”  
“Ran, “ Tomoe tried to calm down her childhood friend, “ease up. What does it matter? It’s not like she’s insulting you at every turn?”  
“But she is. She ignores me, she pretends I don’t exist. That is worse than any harsh words.”  
“Ran’s got it right.” Moca said, biting into another bun, “If people would ignore Moca-chan ~~~ she won’t get any bread. And that would be dreadful.”  
“Does everything be about bread with you?” Ran hissed.  
“Hima-chi~~~ Ran is being mean to Moca-chan.”  
“Ran..?”  
“Yeah, fine... Sorry Moca.” Ran mumbled.  
“Aww Ran loves Moca-chan again.”  
“Moca, I...” Ran stopped, seeing the wide grin, “You’re Impossible. But there is something with that girl that just pisses me off.”  
“She’s nice at the store. Never tells me to work.” Moca said out of nowhere.  
“What? She works there? But I... “  
“She’s friends with Lisa-chi~~~”  
“Why is this so important?” Tomoe asked.  
“Don’t you know who she is? She’s the _Lone wolf songstress_. I hear that many have tried to sign her, just for her to reject them. I mean, who does that? Probably not fancy enough.”  
“Ran, you don’t know why Minato-senpai does that.” Tsugumi tried to quell the raven-head.  
“Say, Tsugu... how come you know her name?” Himari asked.  
“She comes by the student council sometime to borrow the key to the music room. So I see her name on forms mostly.”  
“What’s her first name?” Ran asked.  
“Yukina.”  
“Figures. Cold like ice.”  
“Ran~~~”  
“Well she’s got something else coming. She’s my enemy. I will make her notice me, notice us, notice Afterglow!”

#  Chapter 2 – Rival

There was Roselia and there was Minato Yukina.  
To Mitake Ran, they were one and the same.

Bigger crowds, bigger cheers. Bigger, bigger, bigger.

And then… there was Afterglow, always second, that med her, Mitake Ran, second.  
And she wasn’t having it.  
She would get Minato Yukina to acknowledge Afterglow.

But catching the vocalist of Roselia proved more difficult than what Ran had anticipated. At school, she was in a different year and at CIRCLE their times tended to overlap since Lisa and Moca worked at the same conbini and tended to have the same shifts. And when they had lives at the same venue, Roselia usually arrived before their set, having done all preparations beforehand and left as the last ones from the venue.  
And that was the turn of the world.

In the end, the direct approach was probably the best, Ran figured.

“Minato-san!” she called out in the hallway of Haneoka Girls' High School.  
The silver haired upper-classman turned and looked quizzingly at Ran.  
“Mitake-san?”

Ran realized that, having gotten Minato-san’s attention, she didn’t really know what to say as those big golden orbs focused entirely on her.

“Acknowledge Afterglow!”  
“What are you talking about?”  
“Acknowledge Afterglow! And acknowledge me!”  
“I have no idea what you want me to do, Mitake-san”  
“You… and me… what are we?” Ran asked.

Yukina thought for a moment, the answered: “Band leaders.”  
“Yes… but not that… you and me specifically.”  
“Hmm… girls?”

Ran suddenly felt warm. Why?

“No, well yes we are but…”  
“I’m leaving.”  
“No, wait. We… are… are… ehh… rivals. We’re rivals!”  
“Rivals?”  
“Yes! You and me. Musical equals fighting for dominance. Rivals.”  
“Mitake-san, we are not…”  
“We’re rivals, accept it.” Ran shouted and scuttled off.

#  Chapter 3 – Heartache

_Why can’t I get her out of my head?_

Mitake Ran twisted and turned in her bed, sleep seeming like a faraway dream she wouldn’t have tonight.

_Damn Moca. Why’d she have to out me like that. Like I was supporting a crush. I just put my sticker there because I didn’t want to do it for RAS. Not like it was for Yuki… Roselia at all. And that look she had checking out the pictures on Moca’s phone. She was looking at every nuance, every flavour of what their fans had done. Before she lost herself, I HAD to say something, make her understand that this wasn’t the end, that it was never meant to be the end that it would go on. No smile just ‘of course’ and me blushing like an idiot the entire time._

Ran pressed her face into the pillow and screamed.

_I can’t stop thinking about her… what am I doing? That shiny silver hair and those golden eyes… and that voice. Like a choir of angels on the stage and sharp as ice off. Maybe if she… no no no, she’d never do that, always formal, never first names with strangers… but are we strangers? Are we? Not much time anyway. Even if we go on, most of Roselia will graduate soon, only Ako-chan will still be at Haneoka. Does that thought make her sad? Will she be lost? Will she find someone to help her and not come to me? Will she…_

_No, Ran you’re being stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! Stop thinking about Roselia… well I’m not thinking about them, I’m thinking about her… and why does it hurt when I do… no, I’m not… I’d never. That no-good, bleached, amazing, short-worded, angel-voiced girl._

_And soon, she’ll be gone…_

Ran curled up in a little ball, hugged her pillow and let her tears loose.

#  Chapter 4 – Lover

Mitake Ran pressed the doorbell to Hazawa Tsugumi’s flat. After they first batch of exams at collage Tsugu had thought it would be fun to get Afterglow together again, apparently some other people were also coming. Ran heard voices and steps approaching the door, it opened… to reveal Hikawa Sayo, dressed proper but still casual, with her teal hair tied in a knot.

“Hikawa-san? I’m sorry I must have the wrong…” Ran explained until Sayo interrupted.  
“You’re in the right place, this is Tsugumi-san’s flat. Please come in. The others have already arrived.”

_Tsugumi-san?_

Ran quickly took her shoes off and stepped into the main room, following Sayo.

“Mitake-san.” A level voices said out of the corner.

_She’s here._

“Minato-san.” Ran sent a small nod, receiving a small smile in return.

_Huh?_

The group moved a bit closer together, leaving space between Yukina and Sayo for Ran. She sat down.

Tsugumi stood up and put her hands on the still sitting Sayo.

“I just wanted to welcome you all and … and…” Tsugumi tripped over her words, “I…”

With a frustrated scream, she knelt down next to Sayo, took her chin in her fingers and turned Sayo towards her.

“Tsugumi-san we said…”, whatever else Sayo wanted to say was silenced by Tsugumi kissing Sayo. Ran felt Yukina leaning forward to get a better view, brushing against her leg, sending small shocks to Ran’s brain.

When the kiss ended, Tsugumi was red from ear to ear, but smiling. Sayo mirrored her but with a bit more control.

“We wanted to let you know that we’ll be co-habiting from a week from now. The reason… ehhh is because…” Sayo was finding it difficult to find the words.  
“We’re girlfriends.” Tsugumi exclaimed, smiling.

After the cheer had died down Yukina spoke up, raising her glass.

“Say, Hazawa-san. I would normally say something about this not impacting Roselia or Afterglow… but… I know you will both not lose sight of your lives or the music. I offer my congratulations and a toast. Don’t you agree, Mitake-san?” Yukina’s golden gaze fixed itself on Ran.  
“What? Of course. Their happiness is most important.” She raised her glass, “Cheers!”

As the gathering drank Yukina leaned over and whispered in Ran’s ear: “Thank you.”

Ran felt the heat coming again, she nodded and quickly took another sip.

* * *

Several hours later, the lingering smell of the hot-pot and many a bottle of umeshu and beer hung heavy in the flat. People had generally found a place to sleep, the last transports having run hours earlier. Tsugumi and Sayo were sleeping on the bed, Himari was being embraced by Tomoe who’d prepped against a wall and Moca was snoring gently in a small ball in the corner. Ran found herself in the only spot on the floor that wasn’t occupied by cans or plastic, next to Minato Yukina. Who was soundly asleep, her features noticeably softer than usual. Or at least it appeared like that in the dim light from the ceiling, now that Ran was lying face-to-face with her nemesis. Although, that was in some ways in the past. There might still be some rivalry between them, but Roselia and Afterglow generally got along swimmingly.

_Maybe I could? But... what if she wakes up? She’ll chew me out to no end, calling me weird or a pervert or something… but she is sleeping, and she looks so…_

Collecting her courage, enhanced by the lingering alcohol, Ran carefully crept closer and with her free hand, moved some of Yukina’s bangs away. Very gingerly, Ran extended herself, closed her eyes and placed a chased kiss on the silver-haired’s forehead. As she came back to her original position and opened her eyes, she wanted nothing more than to melt into the ground. Yukina’s eyes were open and she was looking straight at Ran.

“M—minato-san… I…” Ran stammered, her whispers laced with panic, “I’m…so—”

Yukina grabbed put her hand on the back of Ran’s neck and pushed forward, moving them closer together. In hushed words, she added:

“Kissing a maiden when she is asleep might be seen as being too forward, Mitake-san.”

Ran couldn’t escape the vice like grip of Yukina, moving them ever closer together. Their noses touched, sending sparks through Ran, she felt Yukina’s breath of her lips, then Yukina closed her eyes and gave one last pull and their lips touched. Ran went limp, only feeling the soft, warm sensation of Yukina’s lips on hers. When Yukina released her, Ran felt warm, very warm and looking at Yukina, she probably felt the same. With laboured breath Yukina asked Ran one question, that Ran could only nod to.

“More?”

As the quiet sounds of kisses and muted moans filled the room, Moca grinned from her position in the corner.

_Moca-chan is a genius._

* * *

A few days later, Ran stood outside a similar door to a flat in a different part of town. She felt beyond nervous as she extended her finger to ring the doorbell as the door was yanked open and she was pulled inside and thrust against a wall, Minato Yukina pressing her against the it, kicking the door to close it. As the assault of kisses from Yukina temporarily stopped, Ran reversed their roles. Now Yukina was on the receiving end of Ran’s assault, and as Ran’s lips found Yukina’s neck, their breathing, almost synchronised, got heavier. Yukina asked, no, pleaded with a look. Ran nodded. Innocence was left in the hallway, as they graduated to the next level in the other room.

#  Chapter 5 – Girlfriend

“Yu—Yukina... I can’t do this anymore.” Ran said breathlessly, rolling off the one underneath her.  
“What is wrong?”  
“Nothing is… everything is… tell me, what am I to you?”

A quizzing look met Ran’s eyes.

“I don’t understand.”

“Dammit, Yukina… what are we?”  
“Rivals, as you are fond of saying.”  
“Yes. But not that. You and me, here… now.”  
“Lovers.”  
“Is that it?”  
“Yes. What are you getting at?”

Ran rolled off the bed and started to collect her clothes, putting them on

“Ran. Please. I don’t understand.” Yukina pleaded, “Please tell me what I am supposed to understand.”

Ran turned towards Yukina; her eyes full of tears.

“That’s the whole problem isn’t it.” she walked out into the hallway and put on her boots,” Good-bye.” And was gone, leaving a very confused Minato Yukina behind.

Yukina slowly slid to the floor, her tears mixing with the ones Ran had shed.

* * *

“So that’s what happened?” Imai Lisa asked, stacking another set of boxes.  
“Yes. I hope I’m not causing any trouble for you, but I didn’t know where else to turn.” Yukina said as she sat in the break room of the family restaurant.  
“And for how long have you been dating?”  
“Excuse me?”  
“For how long have you two been going steady?”  
“Steady?”  
“Oh my god, Yukina, even you can’t be that dense anymore… for how long have you two been doing what… well what you do?”  
“For a couple of months, a few days after the gathering at Hazawa-san.”  
“ _WHAT?!?_ ” Lisa exclaimed, covering her mouth instantly.  
“Everything okay, Lisa-chan?” asked the manager from the other room.  
“Everything’s fine boss.” Lisa shouted back.

Lisa took a deep breath.

“Yukina, have you during that time ever told her that you love her?”  
“No, I mean… we share a bed and our bodies, isn’t that enough of a gesture that I value her?”  
“I didn’t have to hear that… and no, it isn’t enough. Words are important too, Yukina. Of all the people I, I know that you understand this. Your lyrics are a big part on why Roselia is so successful.”  
“So, you’re saying I should write her a song?”  
“Maybe but Ran… she needs some things blunt and straight to the face. She’s not subtle at the best of times.”

* * *

Mitake Ran looked at the message again.

 **Yukina** : _I need to speak with you. Please meet me._ And a time and place.

_Might as well have her dump me properly so I can go on a bender…_

The place was a small kissaten of the main street in the area where Yukina lived, so she had walked past it quite often. But now, she was walking in the door. Scanning the interior, she saw Yukina doing a small wave with her hand. Ran ordered, payed and walked over to Yukina with a tall glass of coffee.

“Please, sit down Mitake-san.”

_Mitake-san???_

“Are we back to that? Are we strangers now?”  
“No, of course now, I… I was uncertain how you felt about me using your name… so I wanted to be respectful.”  
“Stop it already. We’re way past formalities Yukina.” She took a sip, “What did you want to say?”  
“I wanted to say…” Yukina stood up and bowed, perpendicular to her legs, “That I’m very sorry, I wasn’t aware that I was taking your feelings for granted while not expressing my own with words. I would like to re-examine our relationship.”  
“If you want to break up, just say so…”  
“I don’t. I want to change our relationship into a courtship, if you will allow it.”

Ran, wasn’t sure that she was hearing right. She’d come here fully expecting to be dumped, but _a courtship?_

“Come again?”  
“Mitake Ran… Ran, would you agree to go out with me? As my girlfriend?”

#  Chapter 6 – Mine

Mitake Ran turned the ring over between her fingers; a silver ring with a blue sapphire rose. Today, when Yukina came home from rehearsal, she would ask probably the most important question since she’d asked Yukina if they should move in together.  
A small impact registered on her leg and a small face looked up at her.

“This isn’t for you Legato. Besides, I don’t think it would fit you.”

The small cat, rolled over on its side, holding it’s paws out. Small claws were visible through the black fur.

“Playtime will have to wait a little bit ok. Mama Yukina is coming home soon, and there is something very important I need to ask her.”

Ran had written and rewritten what she was going to say more time than she could count, she’d tried asking the rest of Afterglow to help, but the suggestions from Tomoe and Moca were borderline illegal so she quickly resigned to write something herself. Now she just had to deliver the lines without making a fool of herself. For this was important.  
Legato suddenly rolled back on all fours and ran towards the flat door and just then Ran heard the insertion of a key and the turning of the lock. Yukina.

“Stay inside Legato. I’ll play with you soon. Dearest, I’m home”  
“Welcome back. How was rehearsal?”  
“Satisfactory. We’ll be in good shape for the show I think.”  
“Good… ehh…”  
“What is it?” Yukina asked, placing a small peck on Ran’s cheek.

The little cat ran alongside as Yukina walked in.

“You only have that look when there is something important. So, say it.”

_No time lite the present. Courage Ran, you did this before… admittedly in the mirror but… and the way you phrase it should work_

“Here.” Ran said, holding out a small box to Yukina.  
“Oh?” Yukina took the box and opened in. Inside was a silver ring with a blue rose made of sapphires, “It’s beautiful.”

Yukina held up the ring, waiting. Ran’s coloured stripe matched her face.

“Come on, out with it.”  
“Well,” Ran exhaled, “I wanted to ask you if you would wear this…. as a symbol of our relationship.”  
“You’re proposing?”  
“Eh…”, Ran stammered, “yeah. I am.”

Yukina took the ring out of the box and held it out to Ran.

_She’s… refusing? But I thought…_

“It is only appropriate the you put it on me, isn’t it? I accept.” Yukina red cheeks gave her a small smile.

Ran reached out her hand, took the ring and slowly put in on the ring finger of Yukina’s outstretched hand.  
Admiring it, Yukina said: “It so happens that I have something for you too…” reaching into her bag.

**Author's Note:**

> Instead of splitting it up into chapters, needlessly inflating it, I'm trying to do a split within the frame of a 'chapter'. I hope this becomes easy to read. I'm still learning to write the Bandori characters, so if you find anything that is wildly opposite canon, let me know. Comments are always appreciated.


End file.
